The Mourning Star
by SmileysBasis2
Summary: She sat in front of him garbed in the ritualistic diaphanous dress the cult had put her in. Around her head sat a wreath of roses and myrtle, haloing her long blonde tresses. The festival, the Moon's occultation of Venus, the mysterious cult that had kidnapped her, it had all brought her here...to him. Minako reached up a hand as he stared down at her emotionlessly. "Lucifer..."
1. Chapter 1

**The Mourning Star**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sailor Moon or Bleach.

**ONE-SHOT**

* * *

Minako Aino was not one to let others worry. Especially when it came to her own wellbeing.

Hidden apprehension was her specialty, a specialty so carefully cultivated that sometimes Minako worried her "natural" bubbly nature could have been fake. Not fake as in she was never happy. It was just that underneath the exuberant exterior Minako worried. Like _constantly_.

She was a naturally anxious person, brought on by years of fighting evil and saving the planet and whatnot. But Minako carried human worries as well. She worried about school, she worried about college, she worried about her family and her cat (like when was Artemis just going to tell Luna he loved her already?). So Minako's natural remedy was like any kid's solution to a messy room: shove it all under the bed. Then she could, you know, deal with it when all of the toys (worries) came spilling out of the perfectly positioned bedspread.

Until then her mission was to make sure that everyone thought things were fine.

But they weren't.

Minako was being followed.

If it had been any of the other Senshi they probably wouldn't have given a second thought to the instinctual feeling creeping up their back. But Minako had worked long enough in "law enforcement" in London to know that itching feeling was your body's warning system, not faulty system.

She started paying attention on her walks home and noticed the subtle creep of a shadow emerging just as she turned corners. She noticed unfamiliar faces at Crowne Arcade—which wouldn't usually have sparked any indication of malice but her Spidy-Senses were tingling. Minako _felt_ the eyes on her back.

Minako wanted to keep close to her friends. She was lucky that Usagi was dense enough to think Minako's continuous desire to go shopping was just the stress of their upcoming exams talking. She was lucky that Makoto was more excited for her to come over for dinner than suspicious. She was lucky that Ami thought she was serious about her studies when Minako asked her to tutor.

But she was unlucky when she approached Rei.

"Hahaha!" She laughed gaily and obnoxiously. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rei-chan!"

Rei was not amused. She eyed the blonde distrustfully, slowly sweeping the broom across the temple's steps. It was fall now and the stone ascension was littered with crunchy leaves. Minako had just approached her, asking if perhaps they needed assistance with the upkeep because she was _totally_ available to help. But Rei wasn't buying it and she called the blonde out.

"I said you're acting weird," she said, pausing her duties and placing a hand to her hip. "You've been really clingy lately."

She'd never admit it but the accusation stung. Minako crossed her arms. "I have not. Sorry if I appreciate friendship, Rei-chan," she bit back, half serious half goofy. She shrugged. "Jeez, I was just trying to be nice—"

"Not clingy like that," Rei interrupted. Her look had softened and Minako knew she'd been caught. "You're worried about something. I can tell."

Minako sighed, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "You're right," she admitted, looking anywhere but directly at Rei. She'd play along. "I'm just really unprepared for our upcoming exams—"

"Minako," Rei glared. "That may have worked on Usagi or Mako-chan but that's not going to work on me," she admonished, attending to her duties once more.

Minako didn't really know how to respond. She should have known not to approach Rei, her stupid sixth sense always got in the way. They stood silently on the steps, the only noise being Rei's methodic tick-tock of the broom and the rustle of disturbed leaves.

Rei knew that the blonde would open up eventually. She moved along the steps continuing her obligations while Minako mustered up the confidence to relay whatever was bothering her. Rei knew she would eventually but she'd let Minako come to that conclusion on her own and of her own devices…she wasn't going to force the issue. But she did want to let her knew that her trepidation was visible.

A strum of surprise ran through her when Minako turned on her heel, yet to be swept leaves crunching beneath her shoes as she slowly moved to vacate the steps. She threw a hand over her shoulder and waved, not bothering to turn around and witness the rare look of bewilderment on Rei's face. "Tell gramps I stopped by," she said. "I'll see you later."

Rei didn't bother to respond to Minako's strange behavior. She'd seen enough to know that the issue was serious. Her blonde head disappeared farther and farther down the steps until yellow no longer clashed with orange and she disappeared around the corner. Rei watched people filter past the entrance to the shrine, eyeing the concrete and wondering at the vacuousness of Minako's departure.

A potential patron paused at the base of the steps and Rei shook herself from her musings, offering a small smile she was sure they couldn't see. She walked down a step, reinstating the metronome of the remedial sweep and preparing to offer welcoming words. At first Rei dismissed the person's hood, after all it was chilly outside. They made a motion to walk up the steps but paused in their efforts, almost as if a barricade had prevented their advancement.

Rei's welcome attitude shifted to one of suspicion as a small breeze disrupted her clean piles and shook nearby branches, cluttering the once pristine steps with a flurry of fresh leaves. But Rei didn't care. She kept her eyes on the mysterious person, eyeing them carefully as they bent their arm and brought a watch up to their shaded face.

At the bend of their arm, the person's sleeve shifted just enough to expose the front of their wrist where Rei was able to spot a tattoo. It was an eight-pointed star.

_Eight?_ Rei thought, confused.

The person made another attempt the climb the steps but was thwarted by some unknown force for the second time. Phobos and Deimos squawked, swooping from their perch in the trees to circle Rei's head. The miko looked up at their strange behavior, swiping a strand of hair out of her eyes as the two birds converged on her. Phobos landed on her right shoulder, Deimos on her left. The two birds looked out protectively.

Rei tore her eyes away from her guardians and their unusual perch but the mysterious person had disappeared. Immediately she flipped open her communicator.

* * *

Minako blew out an annoyed breath, crossing her arms over her chest. Rei was so incorrigible when she knew something was wrong. The fire priestess had no qualms letting you know, either. Couldn't she just let Minako bear her burdens in peace? Why'd she have to be all friendly and protective? That was Minako's job, not hers.

She continued to wallow in her thoughts until her inner musings were infiltrated by a buzz down the street. Curious at the noise Minako turned left, the opposite direction of her home, and stumbled across a massive crowd.

"Whoa," she blurted, noticing now that she could see her breath. Her eyes lifted to the sky, detecting the gradient of blue to orange but dismissing the lack of a particular brightness that usually comforted her.

With a disappointed cluck of her tongue Minako began to turn around, thinking perhaps she should head home instead of partaking in whatever was happening on the street.

"Hey, Minako!"

Her ears perked up and Minako eyed the origin of the voice. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Naru!" she cried, and then noticed just who was holding her hand. "Oh, hey Umino," she added. The boy waved.

"Are you here to see it too?" the redhead asked, eyes bursting with excitement.

Minako looked confused. "See what?" she asked.

"Tonight the Moon will occult Venus for the first time in one hundred years!" Umino smartly explained with a smirk.

Minako looked at him blankly. "Uh…say what?" she deadpanned.

Naru laughed. "That's what I said." Minako smiled slightly at her admittance. "Apparently—"

"Occultation," Umino cut her off, ignoring Naru's annoyed glance as he took his hand from hers. He held up his left hand and passed his right one behind it. "It's basically when one thing moves behind another and is obstructed from view," he explained.

Minako wasn't quite getting it. "So…what's the importance of this again?"

Umino shrugged. "Basically the Moon is going to completely cut Venus off from view."

Minako's expression shifted to a somewhat serious demeanor. _Completely block off?_ She wondered worriedly. _Will it have any effect on my powers_? "So why are all of these people gathered here then?"

At this Naru smiled broadly with a blush. "Well see, there's a legend that goes along with it."

Minako watched her expectantly as Umino tuned the two of them out.

"Apparently Venus is a planet of good and evil."

The blonde looked left. And then she looked right. Wait, _what?_ As the Senshi of the planet she was sure that this was made up mumbo-jumbo, but she let Naru continue anyway. "Go on," she urged, still curious.

"The Romans first believed Venus to be two separate star-gods; _Lucifer_, the Morning Star, and _Vesper_ the Evening Star. Lucifer cared for Vesper but was so power hungry he cared more about acquiring the highest seat among all of the star-gods. Recognizing his evil, he was cast down from the mountain of the gods, forever separated from Vesper who was his pure half. Lucifer cried for one day and one night and was banished to the lower portion of the sky. That's why Venus hangs so low to the horizon in the morning," Naru explained. "But the most romantic part is that Venus was later used as a guiding light to bring lovers together. This is because it shines brighter and longer than any other star—except for once every century."

A blush grew on Naru's cheeks as she grabbed Umino's hand again. She continued despite Minako's strange, befuddled expression. "Once every hundred years the Moon obstructs Venus and in that time, away from the eyes of the gods, Lucifer and Vesper are reunited."

Umino shrugged. "Yeah, that or it's just a space anomaly."

"But isn't Lucifer like the devil or something?" Minako questioned, not sure how the being had suddenly transformed into some star-god.

Naru gave her a quizzical look. "Well, I suppose in the story he's the personification of evil. Maybe there's some technical correlation."

The blonde didn't really know what to make of Naru's story but she was still curious about the gathering people. "So this is like a little festival for it?"

"Yeah," Naru squealed excitedly, "come with us!" She jerked Umino's arm and the boy stumbled along with her as she darted into the dense crowd. "It'll be fun!"

"Wait!" came Minako's startled call, squeezing her way through the crowd to catch up. She could still see Naru's hair and Umino's funny glasses as she apologized to those she bumped. The two were getting farther and farther away as Minako struggled to keep up with Naru's fast and excited pace. "Naru!" she called, but the girl didn't hear her. Her view of them was slipping as the crowd closed around her, tall men and children on shoulders obscuring any overhead sight of her friends.

Minako kept squeezing through, mumbling "excuse me," and "pardon me," on repeat. She attempted to look overhead again. When she caught no sight of Naru or Umino she sighed dejectedly, shoulders slumping. It was a lover's festival anyway. Minako wasn't quite sure why she'd bothered to follow them in the first place.

In the cramped space she was afforded Minako turned around, preparing to inch her way out of the congested street and away from all of the "oohing" and "ahhing" of the onlookers. Minako paused and looked over her shoulder. What were they all fawning over? Her eyes followed the pointed arm of a small child clutched tightly on her father's shoulders. The finger pointed to the Moon…no, not the Moon. She was pointing to the bright dot inching closer and closer to the lunar edge. Suddenly their lights melded, planet and moon coming together in one tiny globular reverse mitosis…and then it was gone.

It was as if the world slowly faded around her. Colors became grayer, sounds muted, and time seemed to slow to a stop as Minako watched her planet disappear. Suddenly Minako was bathed in a perilous chill. Despite her light coat, despite the multitude of bodies that surrounded her she felt cold inside and out. The flush on her cheeks faded and a pallid complexion took its place. She felt tired and weak, her head abruptly spinning as she attempted to move out of the crowd.

She burst through the outer wall of people like a leak in a dam, annoyed murmurs trickling out after her unapologetic breakthrough. She felt sick, she couldn't see, and her body was alive with tremors. What was happening to her? Minako reached out a hand and propped her body up on a brick façade, hoping to somehow steady her quaking form. She turned around and leaned against it, heaving unstable breaths as passersby ignored her in favor of the missing planet. She was thankful for that.

But all appreciation vanished when Minako caught sight of a black hood. It stood within the throng, face hidden by the rising night and the shadow of the garment. However, instead of watching the sky like those who surrounded him, the figure was watching Minako. She felt his eyes bore hot holes into her skin, laser-like concentration focusing on her ailing body.

Minako needed to move. She pushed herself from the wall, stumbling around giggling children dressed up as characters. She couldn't throw herself back into the crowd for fear her current feeble form would be suffocated…or she might vomit on someone. But despite her condition Minako knew she could take on her stalker, if only she could get somewhere quiet to transform.

She peeked over her shoulder and saw his predatory form closing in on her. She hobbled away faster, turning her sights down the street.

Ah, there!

A small opening stood out against the brick building. She uttered no apology as she pushed past a couple. They complained once as she broke them apart and again seconds later as her pursuer did the same. Minako peered behind her again, noticing just how close the hooded man was.

Despite the weird weakness of her body she pushed her feet faster and faster to the break in the street, an anxiousness hovering around her. It was as if she could feel his hand about to grab her, a scary shiver of anticipation wracking her body. Finally she reached her destination and broke off of the sidewalk, glad the alley was empty and throwing herself behind a large, stinking dumpster.

"_Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"_

Minako breathed in and then out. No ribbons warmed her sickly body. He appeared at the opening of the valley, near the zenith of his mission. His body was silhouetted, the dark alley offering no illumination. The brightness of the street behind him haloed her purser in an eerie light. He took a step into the alley.

Minako threw her hand up in desperation. _"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!"_ she called again. Nothing happened.

"It won't work," he said, coming towards her.

Minako backed away, holding her hands up in a defensive stance. "Why have you been following me?" she asked. "Who are you?"

Two more hooded figures appeared behind the first and Minako's concern grew. If she'd been transformed it would have been no sweat. Without her powers she had enough faith in herself to take on the one man…but three?

_Be cool,_ she thought to herself. _Be confident._ But her hands were shaking.

The hooded man did not respond to her demand and instead encroached slowly on her shrouded form.

Minako, not one to wait for disaster to strike, lashed out with her a kick. He deftly dodged and took a step back, a silent commendation for her ferocity. Minako moved to go on the offensive when the shadows shifted around her. Her eyes widened as a black smoke curled around her, wisps and strings of black vapor winding around her arms.

Minako moved to back away but hands emerged from the mysterious mist, solidifying into strong grips that held her struggling arms. The two figures oozed out of the shadows, black bleeding into light like an open vein. She moved to elbow one apparition but their grip on her was too tight.

"Let me go!" she fought, struggling to free herself.

Her initial pursuer phased away in a trail of curling black smoke before reappearing directly in front of Minako. Her eyes widened at what resided below his hood. He wore the mask of an Oni; sharp and feral teeth clamped together in a snarl as wild eyes and two small, hideous horns graced its forehead. But the entirety of the mask was composed of white, disparate bone.

All Minako could think of was how much she regretted turning down Rei's help. If only she hadn't been so stubborn…

The masked man held out a hand and placed it in front of Minako's face.

"_Sleep,"_ he said.

The last thing she saw was the tattoo of an eight pointed star on his wrist before falling limp in her captors' arms.

* * *

"Rei-chan, what's with the emergency meeting?" Usagi asked as she and the other Senshi stood on the temple grounds. They were all decked out in their fall coats having quickly run over at Rei's behest. "And where's Minako?" She asked, looking around.

"She's probably just late," Makoto mumbled, stuffing her hands in her pockets and burrowing her face in the high collar of her jacket. "Why are we waiting outside again?"

"I think Minako's been captured," Rei explained.

"What?!" the four chorused and Makoto immediately felt bad for her automatic assumption.

"How do you know? What happened? By who?—"

"Slow down, Usagi," Ami said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let Rei explain."

Rei sighed. "She came over earlier asking to help sweep the steps, which I thought was strange. She's been keeping close to at least one of us every day for the past two weeks."

Usagi looked worried. "Maybe she was just lonely…" she tried, trying to find the best in the situation.

"Do you really think a lonely Minako would ask Ami to tutor her?" Rei deadpanned. "She hates studying." Rei turned her head and held up a hand. "No offense Ami."

"None taken," the bluenette responded with a shrug. "I thought it was out of character but I didn't want to say anything—Minako really does need to study more."

"So what happened then?" Makoto asked.

Rei looked down the steps. "Well, I confronted her about it and she just walked away." She pointed to the bottom platform. "And then this hooded man appeared. He tried to come up the temple steps but it was like some force was blocking him," Rei explained. "He tried twice, checked his watch, and then disappeared."

"So she was being followed," Makoto deduced, still curious about the fact that he couldn't ascend the steps. "Did you see the guy's face?"

Rei shook her head. "No, but he had a tattoo of an eight pointed star."

Ami put a finger to her chin. "So she's been keeping close to us because she knew she was being followed," she pieced together. "But why do you think she's been kidnapped?"

Rei ran a cold hand through her hair. "I was worried so I consulted the fire right after the man disappeared. I saw a mask made of bone and his tattoo. Minako was in his arms." Rei began to descend the steps quickly, her friends scampering after her. "That and I couldn't reach her on her communicator."

"Was she ok?" Usagi panicked, referring to Rei's vision and picking up her pace.

Rei bit her lip. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "She wasn't conscious. She wasn't transformed either."

Ami followed the group silently, lost in a bubble of thought. Minako's stalkers presumably had ample chances to capture the blonde. Sure she'd stuck close to all of them while she was aware of their presence but Ami didn't exactly walk her home after her tutoring sessions. They'd been scoping her out…waiting for something. But what?

_Why tonight?_ Ami asked herself, _why wasn't Minako transformed?_ She fell farther and farther behind the group as the reason became clearer and clearer.

"Wait!" she called out and her friends froze, turning to face her.

"What is it Ami?" a nervous Usagi asked. She was worked up and worried, anxious to find their friend.

"Think about it," she said. "They've been following her and following her but only chose to strike tonight," she began. "Why?"

Makoto looked confused. "She was alone?" she tried. "Don't beat around the bush Ami, what is it?"

Ami sighed, knowing (sadly) that she was probably the only one who dared to read the newspaper. While reading the science section she'd stumbled across something worrisome. To any other eye it would have been a less excitable blurb. The story hadn't taken up much more than a small square but it had easily captured Ami's attention.

"Tonight the Moon occults Venus!" she blurted, waiting for their comprehension.

When no look of understanding filtered in Ami growled. She looked to the sky and pointed upwards at the white, glowing Moon. "Look," she said, "there's no Venus in the sky, it's already being occulted."

"Occulted?" Usagi asked, looking up in confusion.

Ami's frustration grew. "Occultation is when one thing passes in front of another and obstructs it from view," she informed as the three looked down from the sky. "Venus is hidden behind the Moon," she continued quickly, very sure of the next steps they needed to take. "Minako's powers have been temporarily cut off." Ami stopped talking and immediately turned around, going in the opposite direction they'd come from.

"Wha—cut off?" Rei looked up to the sky again and then back to Ami's retreating form. "Ami, where are you going?!"

The blue haired girl waved her hand and began to run. "Trust me!" she yelled as they haphazardly followed. "We've got 30 minutes until the library closes!"

"The library?!" they chorused.

* * *

"_Awaken."_

Minako felt life pushed into her as her eyes opened of their own accord. She stared listlessly above her, unable to move her body or even bat a lash. Her mind, however, was awake. Figures huddled above her draped in black cloaks. White snarling Oni masks peered down at her beneath wide hoods as they circled closer, linking hands.

She couldn't tell where she was as the entirety of the room was clothed in darkness. Eight large candles circled them, the shivering light only enough to illuminate their garb and her own. She was on a stone slab, that much she could feel. They'd changed her clothes. She now lay in a diaphanous white dress, opaque enough to see through to her body. It flowed it two layers all the way to her toes. Minako shivered in rage at the exposition of her body, nervous and scared for what was to come. If only she could move, if only she could transform…

Suddenly they kneeled, one dark mass converging on the ground in a cloud of black. Their hands remained locked as they bent their heads inwards. One of them broke the link, dropping their neighbor's hands and removing their hood. Long, brunette hair unraveled, tumbling in wide, delicious curls to her hips. The horns on her Oni mask grew longer and taller than any of the others, two spikes of demonic disposition protruding from her forehead. She held out her hand and the sleeve of her cloak shifted, falling to her elbow. On her wrist was the same eight-pointed star as Minako's stalker.

She bent her pinky and ring finger and extended the rest. From her side she procured a bowl of something golden. It didn't slosh but waved gently with her movements, glistening in the dim candlelight. She dipped her middle and pointer fingers into the substance and leaned over Minako.

Internally she struggled. Minako pulled at her arms, tried to buck her torso, move her legs, _anything_ to get this woman away from her. But her body wouldn't move. Not a muscle twitched. She couldn't even speak… Minako was frozen.

The woman pulled her fingers from the substance and put them close to her lips, whispering something Minako could not hear before approaching her again. She took the two fingers and drew on Minako's forehead. The down and across motion she could feel was a cross. The woman re-dipped her fingers and applied more of the substance, adding an X over the first marking…she'd drawn an eight-pointed star.

Minako's forehead suddenly felt very hot and the Oni mask lit up with an orange glow.

Minako was astounded. Had her planetary mark just appeared? Who the hell were these people? As the woman pulled away her nose caught a whiff of the substance she'd drawn on her forehead. It was sweet and natural. It was…honey.

"_Quomodo cecidisti de caelo, lucifer, qui mane oriebaris!"_ The woman suddenly called out. The group murmured a response that the frozen Senshi couldn't understand. The chant caused a ripple of uneasiness to tremble through Minako's body.

Minako's forehead grew brighter and her worry intensified. She'd caught the word lucifer in the woman's words. Was she the human sacrifice in some religious cult? She didn't like feeling as if she were some piece of a ritual in a game of gods. Were they going to chop her up and serve her to the devil? Minako tried to move again but it was no use. Where had her power gone and how was she paralyzed?

They fell into silence again as Minako's heart thudded in her chest. She didn't want to die—_especially_ this way. If there was any way she wanted to go out it was protecting her friends, sacrificing herself for them, not served up on a platter for some evil monster.

The woman reached out her hands and another participant passed her a tall jar. She murmured a few words over the jar as she had done with the honey and reached out her other hand. A participant on her other side handed the woman a golden chalice. She set it on the stone floor and poured the liquid into its depths. Minako didn't need to be close to know it was wine. She could smell the fruity alcohol from far away.

The woman set aside the jar as she had done with the honey and held up the chalice.

"_Lucifer, qui mane oriebaris!"_

The group murmured their monotonous response.

The woman took a sip from the chalice and passed it not to the participant next to her but across Minako's body. When he had finished, he passed it to the participant at Minako's feet, and when he had finished he passed the chalice along the length of Minako's body to a woman who sat near her head. The strange pattern finally registered with the Senshi of Venus as she counted the members of the cult. There were eight of them. They were making another eight-pointed star.

When the chalice had made the rounds it returned to the woman. She dipped her fingers into its depths and procured a healthy amount of wine on the appendages. Leaning over she ran the digits along Minako's lips, coating her pink mouth in blood red wine.

Minako squirmed internally, wanting to cry, wanting to scream, wanting to escape. It was the first time in years she'd felt powerless, so far beyond helplessness and utterly weak. But her eyes produced no tears, her mouth remained closed, and her body remained frozen on the stone slab.

The woman took one last thing from behind her; a flower wreath. It was made of yellow roses and myrtle, a small, white flower she only recognized because of Makoto. The brunette had made her a dish with its berries once. Under any other circumstance Minako would have thought the item was beautiful.

The woman placed it around her head.

"_Lu cifer qui…orie…"_ Her words were slowing now and Minako felt an indescribable heat build on her forehead. It wasn't formidable but it didn't feel gentle. She felt her mind begin to fog as the onlookers repeated their phrase.

"_Ul qui orie cifer,"_ she said again and Minako felt them reaching the pinnacle of their ritual. She would never be found, her friends couldn't save her, nobody could save her. The group responded once more and Minako finally understood what they were saying.

Her mind phased in and out, vision hazily exchanging between the ominous cult that held her captive and high domed ceilings.

The woman's voice reached an ultimate high.

"_Ulquiorra Cifer!"_

"_El que llora!"_ the participants chorused.

He who cries.

And Minako was gone.

No longer did she lie on a slab of stone. She was no longer in the dark surrounded by flickering candles. Her eyes adjusted to the light as she carefully took in her surroundings.

She was on a large Persian carpet that rolled out only a fraction of the sizeable room. Tall pillars rose in a column, directing her view to a large window that exposed a great portion of the wall she faced. On the other side of the glass were a white, barren desert and a black sky. A bright crescent moon hung in its balance.

Minako found that she could move. Slowly she pushed herself into a sitting position, confused of her whereabouts. She still wore the flower crown, the diaphanous dress the cult had clothed her in and the sticky substances they'd put on her remained. Had they killed her?

Was this Heaven…or was it Hell?

Suddenly a man was standing before her. He was dressed in a strange garb of black and white. Minako's eyes slowly trailed upwards, taking in his appearance. She reached his hip, where a long sword resided. She reached his neck, where a hole was carved between his clavicles. And then she reached his face. Minako barely noticed his messy black hair or the half broken, horned helmet made of bone. It was his eyes she latched onto, two emotionless orbs of the brightest green she'd ever seen complemented with cat-like dilated pupils. Two bright green lines fell from the bottom of his eyes to his chin…like long streams of tears.

But he was not crying.

"Who are you," he asked and Minako noticed his voice was as monotonous as his eyes were stoic. She couldn't find the words to answer him.

Ulquiorra looked at the meek woman who'd appeared in his quarters. Her long blonde hair blanketed her body and haloed her confused face. She wore a white dress that left little to his imagination as he could see the extent of her body through the agonizingly sheer material. Her blank stare and disregard for fear around him reminded the Espada of Wonderweiss.

"How did you get in here," he asked again.

The crown of flowers that had graced her head slowly slipped to cover one of her bright blue eyes as she continued to stare at him vacantly.

Ulquiorra slid one hand into his pocket and held out the other one, finger pointed to her forehead. "You do not belong here," he critiqued as a green ball of burgeoning light bubbled on his fingertip.

Minako did not bother to look at his fingertip. All she could stare at was his face. Her mouth opened.

"_Cero."_

Ulquiorra let loose a giant blast of green power at point blank range. The room became bathed in green light, a turbulent wind blowing back the coattails of his uniform viciously. She'd said something that sounded suspiciously like his name before he'd killed her but Ulquiorra had no time for such intrusions or inquiries. She was trash.

When the dust settled and the smoke dispersed, Ulquiorra made a move to exit his quarters, proceeding over the very spot he'd just obliterated. He paused when something shifted in front of him and he took a few steps backwards.

There she sat with her sloppy wreath around her head, white dress over her body, her hair blanketing her protectively. She was impeccable. She was pristine. She was _unharmed_.

If they were surprised, neither of them showed it.

Finally she spoke.

"Lucifer," she said softly. "You are the Morning Star."

Minako didn't know how she knew it, but she did. A wave of understanding crashed into her as she reached out a hand to touch him. They were personifications, vessels for celestial beings that were separated eons ago—his essence remained here while hers resided where she came from. But Venus had been occulted, the gods no longer watched and otherworldly mechanics had _forced_ them back together.

Her hand phased through his hakama.

Perhaps not as together as she thought.

* * *

"_To all patrons still in the building, the library closes in fifteen minutes. I repeat, the library will close in fifteen minutes."_

Ami ran back to their table with an arm full of books, dumping her finds on its surface. "Help me carry these back to the Hikawa Jinja," she said as the three scooped up what they could and darted for the exit.

After a solid bout of silent running, Makoto couldn't withhold her questions. "What's in these Ami?" she asked, holding the musty books away from her nose as she ran. They may have looked pretty, with their delicate gold intricacies and whatnot, but they smelled as old as they appeared.

"There's a legend about Venus I read in the paper," Ami responded as they approached the temple steps. She took a moment to catch her breath before embarking on the difficult upward slope. "It's a love story between Lucifer, the Morning Star, and Vesper, the Evening Star," she explained as they made their way up. "The books were the only things I could find on it and the mythology of Venus."

"A love story with the devil?" Usagi pitched in, curiosity piqued enough above her endless worry.

They reached the shrine doors and Rei ushered them inside. She knew that Ami had a good reason to grab the books but she was too anxious to sit and read. Rei wanted to transform and get in the field to find their friend. She knew Minako was in trouble, it was a gut feeling if nothing else.

"Just skim these," Ami said, setting the books she had down on Rei's coffee table. "Quickly. Look for anything about Venus, an eight pointed star, and Lucifer."

Confused but without question Usagi, Rei, and Makoto dug into the books, scanning the table of contents and pages for any sort of information.

While their eyes flittered through the pages, Ami focused and materialized her Mercury computer. When it appeared in her hands she let out a tsk of frustration. On their way to the library an idea had popped into her head. When Rei had disappeared on the bus during her and Usagi's bout with Jadeite, Luna had shown her a way to track Usagi's communicator. But while she'd launched the program minutes ago, the computer was still calibrating. Where the hell was Minako that it was taking this long to pinpoint her location?

Setting the computer down, Ami dug into one of the untouched books. Her finger scanned the pages quickly, eyes knowing just what she wanted to find.

Makoto was so anxious it seemed like all of the words were running together. She knew it was smarter to read the books but she couldn't shake her jittery feeling. She wanted to transform and find the tattooed man then beat the living daylights out of him. Makoto shook her head when she realized she was daydreaming about fighting instead of skimming the book. Her eyes ran along the pages in search of something useful fearing the book would be vacant or she'd miss something. But she caught something out of her periphery, eyes hooking on a phrase that drew them back.

"Uh, I've got something!" Makoto said, looking up over her book.

"Me too," Rei added, surprisingly.

"Same!" Usagi piped up.

Ami pointed to the brunette. "Makoto, you first."

Makoto put her finger to the page and read what caught her eye. _"In the Babylonian pantheon Ishtar was the celestial personification of Venus, Goddess of love, war, and sexuality. She was represented by a symbol known as the Star of Venus; an eight-pointed star."_ Makoto looked up, signifying she was done.

Ami put a finger to her lips. So the man had the Star of Venus tattooed on his wrist. "This is confusing," she admitted, looking up to the group. "If this guy has a tattoo of the Star of Venus aren't he and Minako comrades in arms? Why are they kidnaping her?" Ami demanded.

Rei held up a finger. "I think I might have an answer to that," she started, placing a finger to her page and reciting the words.

"_Lucifer is not in reference to an actual name but rather the direct Latin translation for 'Morning Star.' It is the aspect of Venus, the "light bringer," and the counterpart to Vesper, the Evening Star. As punishment for Lucifer's evil and attempted ascension he was cast down to the lower portion of the sky and forever separated from Vesper, his love. Only when the…"_ Rei slowed as she read the rest of the sentence because it made her feel a little sick. She looked up to Ami but the blue haired girl urged her to continue. _"Only when the Moon occults Venus can the _Vinalia Caelestis _occur by the hands of the _Octo Urania..."

Ami saw the confusion phase in and out of her friends' eyes. They'd gotten the gist of the last sentence but only Ami knew enough Latin and history to piece it together.

She bit her lip, saving her interpretation until after she gathered everyone's information. "Usagi," she said, her voice now less of a command.

But Usagi was trembling. "I-is Minako—"

"Usagi-chan please, just read." Ami was just as nervous.

The blonde had started to tear up but looked past the glisten in her eyes to the book in her hands. _"Only when Lucifer and Vesper come together can Venus be whole and burn bright and true."_ Usagi's trembling lip slowed at the uplifting nature of the message. But then she continued reading. "Oh wait there's more." She ran a finger along the page. "_If kept apart, the heavenly bodies will be destroyed and Venus will forever remain as one."_

As much as she didn't want to be, Ami knew she was right. She slumped back into her chair and tossed the book in her hands unceremoniously and uncharacteristically to the floor. The loud noise it made caused them all to jump as Ami folded her legs in and covered her face with her hands.

The remaining three made eye contact before Usagi slowly approached her. She placed a comforting hand to Ami's leg, not so sure what she was all worked up about. "What is it?" the princess asked.

Ami pulled her fingers down her face and looked to Rei's ceiling, not sure how to break the news to her friends. She felt so stupid for not making the connection earlier after Rei mentioned the eight-pointed star.

Ami liked to read. So much so that she did extra especially when it came to schoolwork. When studying for an Ancient Civilizations test her interest had been piqued, especially since the celestial beings introduced by the Romans seemed to be directly tied to their Senshi history. It was during her extensive preparation for that exam that Ami had come across the _Octo Urania_.

She turned her nervous eyes to her friends as they watched her patiently. Ami sighed.

"We're not going to be able to find Minako."

Rei clenched her fist as her eyebrows shot down in discontent. "What to you mean?" she seethed, fearing Ami's insinuation was that Minako was dead.

Ami re-folded her legs and leaned forward, the rapid pace she'd been keeping completely diminished. Ami was no longer in a hurry because there was no reason to be. She felt silly saying it but she articulated her theory anyway.

"Minako has been kidnapped by a Venusian cult for her own good."

Makoto's eyes shimmered with contention. "Kidnapping is not generally done for good, Ami," she tried to reason, struggling to keep the enmity from her voice. "Rei saw Minako unconscious and held against her will. How can you possibly say this is a good thing?"

Ami didn't like the feeling on the end of her friends' acrimony so she attempted to explain as succinctly and quickly as she could.

"_Octo Urania_ means Heavenly Eight in Latin," she began, trying to calm them down. "They're an ancient Venusian cult who worship Venus."

"So what are they doing kidnapping her?" Rei interrupted bitterly.

Ami eyed her with annoyance for her interjection. "Let me try to explain before all of you jump in," she said, understanding their fidgety crankiness but unwilling to be a dartboard for their rancor. Rei looked slightly apologetic. It was enough for Ami.

"They're an ancient order that has annually worshipped the goddess and the planet with various festivals and ceremonies—one such ceremony, I'm assuming, is the _Vinalia Caelestis_, or Celestial Venus." Her friends listened to her words carefully as the chagrin in their eyes began to fade.

"Listen to the story," Ami pointed out. "Lucifer and Vesper were lovers torn apart. But only when the _Moon occults Venus_," she said pointedly, emphasizing those words, "can the _Vinalia Caelestis_ occur."

Usagi was alight with innocent confusion. "So they kidnapped her to worship her?"

"Not quite," Ami responded. "Next we have to think about what you brought up, Usagi-chan," she said holding up a finger. "Only when Lucifer and Vesper come together can Venus burn bright and true—and if they don't, the heavenly bodies will be destroyed and Venus will remain as one. _Heavenly bodies_," Ami said resolutely. "I think Minako is the reincarnated personification of Vesper."

The three did not take that well.

"No way!"

"Really, that's preposterous."

"So she really _is _the goddess of love and beauty?"

Ami almost chuckled at Usagi's deduction. "I'm serious," she replied to their unified guffaw. "The _Vinalia Caelestis_ is bringing her back together with Lucifer because if they are not reunited, away from the eyes of the other gods, they will both be destroyed." Ami hugged a nearby pillow close to her chest. "The _Octo Urania_ is trying to _save_ Minako, not harm her. They worship her."

Usagi seemed to come around to the idea. "But why kidnap her?"

Ami shrugged. "I don't know. How would you feel if you were told you were a goddess that had to go through some sort of cult ritual to reunite you with your ancient evil lover?"

Usagi's eyes widened. "Point taken," she squeaked.

Rei crossed her arms tightly as a blip sounded from Ami's computer. "So what do we do now?" she asked as Ami tossed the pillow aside and hurried to the tiny machine.

Before the bluenette could respond, a tiny dot flew from the screen and zipped high into the air, almost to Rei's ceiling. The four of them looked up helplessly.

"There's nothing we can do," Ami said, watching the dot feebly. Wherever she was, the Senshi of Venus was too far for any sort of power to reach her. She was in another world. "Minako has to save herself."

* * *

Ulquiorra had no time to deduce the riddles coming from the strange apparition in his quarters.

"I am no such thing," he responded coldly, admittedly intrigued that she'd remained unscathed after his cero. The Espada was smart enough to know that perhaps no attack could harm her. After all, her hand had faded right through his clothing. "How did you get here," he asked again.

"A cult," she responded, staring up at his pale face with her one, uncovered eye.

If she hadn't magically appeared, been impervious to attack, and a seeming hologram, Ulquiorra would have simply labeled her crazy and left his room.

He kneeled to the ground in front of her, now eyelevel with the woman. They watched each other silently, she taking in his handsome features and he wondering how to get rid of her.

She reached out a hand and he did not prevent her from doing so, knowing any defense would simply phase right through her. He could not feel her hand when it ostensibly touched his face. He could see her finger trace one of the green lines that marked his face inquisitively.

Suddenly she pulled away and grabbed her breast, clutching over the domain of her heart. A grimace of pain flashed over her eyes as she bared her teeth and inhaled sharply. Minako felt pins and needles in her chest, an uncomfortable sensitivity that was heightened with each breath.

Ulquiorra watched her suffer placidly, unbecomingly curious, before standing and walking away. He opened his door and took one last look at her. Her back was to him but he could tell she was still seizing her chest in discomfort and intermittently squeezing his carpet. He wasn't sure she'd still be there when he returned but a beautiful ghost had no place in his world.

Ulquiorra stepped from his room and closed the door. The Espada meeting with Aizen was far more important than any lingering thought on the woman in the white dress.

…

Ulquiorra sat in a tall white chair at the end of a long black table. To his left Coyote Starrk lounged lazily, head propped up on two flaccid hands with his eyes closed. Across from him the annoying pest that was Grimmjow sat snarling. Ulquiorra closed his eyes as he listened to Aizen-Sama speak about their mission.

He mentioned his and Yammy's initial invasion of Karakura Town and Ichigo Kurosaki's progress. Now that they'd captured Orihime Inoue they could make preparations for the fake Karakura Town.

"How is our little Time Rejecter?" Aizen asked Ulquiorra languidly, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. The Cuatro Espada had, after all, been charged with her basic caretaking.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth to respond. "She is—"

The green-eyed man was hit with a sudden sharp tingle in the hole at his sternum. His eyes peered emotionlessly down to his chest as the tingling persisted and grew into a firmer pain. He showed no outward acknowledgement of the pain except for the brief confusion of feeling anything at all. The foreign sensation burned stronger in the emptiness of his Hollow hole.

Aizen raised an eyebrow as the table of Espada watched Ulquiorra curiously. Even Starrk had opened his lazy eyes at the Cuatro Espada's uncharacteristic pause. Grimmjow was smirking.

"Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked patiently.

"She is fine," he responded briefly and tartly, successfully ignoring the feeling that should not have existed.

Aizen propped his head upon his hand and watched his underling as if he knew something the Espada didn't. The smirk grew on his lips as he watched Ulquiorra peer down at his Hollow hole once again. "That is excellent," he said directly to him. "Then we have her in the palm of our hands."

Aizen continued to speak as Ulquiorra's pain grew. One would never have known he was feeling anything for his eyes remained steadfast and cold, his posture polite and rigid, but his hands slowly curled around the arm rests of his chair.

What evil magic had that woman performed?

* * *

Ulquiorra returned to his quarters, hoping the ghostly woman would be there to remedy the unique ailments she'd caused. As he stepped into the dark, cold grayness of his room he paused at the sight of her.

She stood now, hands pressed to the glass of the window as she stared at the white desert far below her feet. The light of the crescent moon shone through the excess, sheer fabric of her white dress and silhouetted the dainty curvature of her body within it. At the sound of his reentry she shifted, peering slightly over her shoulder. The wreath moved a bit, shadowing her eye once more but this time she delicately pushed it away. A sprig of myrtle floated free but she ignored the fragrant blossom as it rocked gently to the floor.

Ever an expert in _Sonído_, Ulquiorra disappeared and reappeared right in front of her. He reached out his hand to grasp her neck but his attempt went right through her. Ulquiorra did not bother with any more attempts to touch her or kill her for he was not a proponent of wasting energy. She'd made no move to exit his room, something he was not sure she was able to do, but she'd made no move to extract any information either. It didn't even seem like she knew what he was or even where she was—she'd called him Lucifer…the Morning Star, which he clearly was not.

"What did you do to me," he asked, staring directly into her eyes. He'd rely on his typically stoic appearance and demanding nonchalance to intimidate answers from her since he could not touch her and he could not hurt her.

She turned fully to face him, the blasé curiosity vís a vís Wonderweiss now pulled from her eyes. In its place was a muted interest, an astonishment mixed with fright. Either she had no idea what she was doing there or she was a very good actress.

"I-I'm not sure," she said, arms crossing over her chest. "Did you get a pain in your heart?" She looked to his neck where the gaping hole was carved from his body and then looked back to his eyes, swallowing heavily with apprehension.

"I don't have a heart," he said curtly, eyeing his sternum briefly. "But somehow there is feeling where should be none. I will ask you again, what did you do to me."

Her unwillingness to understand such a blatant obviousness irked him. "No heart?" she asked, reaching out once again to touch him.

In typical reaction he moved to parry her attempt but remembered the pointlessness of it, hand pausing mid-rebuff. Either not noticing, or choosing to ignore his movements, her hand proceeded to the hole in his chest. Ulquiorra shivered out of view and reappeared a few steps away from her. The last time she'd touched him the emptiness where his former heart had been extracted had become abuzz with sensation.

It should have been impossible.

He, as with any of the other Espada or Hollows, had lost his heart long, long ago. Ulquiorra had roamed not only the real world in misery but also Hueco Mundo. The fear of being white in a sea of black had attracted him to the emptiness of that barren tree, its claw-like filaments the home he sunk into. His hole was the representation of despair, it was the absence of the Chain of Fate and the decay of his soul's heart. The void had been so considerable that Ulquiorra had feasted on his own kind

His powers were now the manifestation of his heart. His final form, his _Segunda Etapa_ unseen by the world, was the tangible collection of his being into true despair. Ulquiorra did not remember what it was like to have a heart, nor did he wish to.

"How can you have no heart?" she asked, pulling her hand back to her chest.

Immediately his mind revolved around the _woman_ he was charged with. The Time Rejecter had made references to this same _heart_, this inconceivable human notion unperceivable by simple eyesight.

"If my impeccable eyes with the prowess of perfect reflection cannot see this wretched _heart_ you humans speak of then it does not exist," he explained bluntly, annoyed at his constant confliction with these puny women over this imperceptible matter. But somehow he'd felt a tingle in the gaping hole in his chest, the very representation of his Hollow being. She looked very confused.

"I will not ask again. What spell did you cast on me."

"Spell?" she asked. Minako was at a loss for words. A complex and baffling battle waged within her at his vacuous words. Sure he had a heart, her years as a Senshi had proven that _every_ unique and tortured evil had a heart ready to be purified. They did not destroy their foes, they healed them. Usagi had verified the ache in the vilified heart and the invariable desire to be loved that lay in the depths of their core. Their appetite for destruction came from the trials and tribulations of loneliness and lost hope, a misappropriated transformation mitigated by the suffering imparted from stolen contentment.

A sudden smile came to her lips at the thought that he could be saved.

"Why are you smiling."

Minako took a step towards him and he did not move. The dress dragged on the cold floor as she took another step, her movements fluid and graceful like water on a window. She stood directly in front of him now, her hands wrapped up in one another and pressed to her chest like a praying angel. He stood across from her, demonic in creation and origin with his hands in his pockets.

"It will come to you," she explained gently, placing her hand uncontested above the hole in his chest.

A thrum of sensation coursed through it but Ulquiorra did not move. His apathy towards the situation was diminishing slightly. Then, as quick as lightening, he shot his hand into her chest. The appendage disappeared into her and her image fizzled before reinstating solidly, his hand still captured in the untouchable chamber of her heart. Her eyes widened and he could tell that some sort of feeling had coursed through her in response.

"What will come to me," he questioned monotonously, "the full power of your invisible 'heart'? If I could tear open your chest will I find it there?"

Minako looked up to him sadly as a light began to emanate from her forehead. A symbol was carved from the illumination like a laser carving letters into metal. The light followed the path until the symbol simmered like embers, casting an eerie orange light onto his face. They stood connected; her hand over his hole, his hand through her heart, and the two were showered in an orange light, encircled in a ring of Venus's power.

Ulquiorra bathed in the energy and a string of separate perceptions infiltrated his stoic mind. The unrelenting foray that bombarded his head curtained his vision for a brief moment. He was hit with an undeniable affirmation of his heavenly passenger, the piece of his soul that was not his own.

The light disappeared in a deafening silence and her eyes remained wide, mouth agape with the sudden incursion of recognition. Her knees buckled in weakness and Ulquiorra reached out an arm to steady her fall.

He caught her.

She lay solid in his arms, watching in astonishment as his cold arms held her above the ground.

And for the briefest of moments Lucifer and Vesper stared at each other. Their eyes locked for the first time in a century, their arms held each other for the first time in eons. The surprise of the reunification slowly sunk in as Minako looked up in amazement and the frost in his glare slightly melted.

She reached up a hand, finally feeling the texture of his cold, white skin. Her thumb brushed gently across the green line on his face. "You don't have to cry anymore, Lucifer," Minako whispered but the words did not feel like her own. "I am here."

Ulquiorra had more trouble letting the celestial being he harbored take some control. He did not respond to her words, not allowing Lucifer to interact with his long lost love. But he also could not let her go. His hands tightened around her, fingers digging into her soft flesh as he repressed Lucifer's persisting need.

Minako looked up to him sadly. "Will you not let him through?" she asked, her blue eyes searching his green depths for any semblance of his ancient passenger. He refused to let Lucifer emerge, squeezing tighter to her body as his eyes blinked in confliction.

He did not reply to any of her words, trying not to move for fear of losing himself.

The sadness permeated her whole face and Ulquiorra felt the tingling in his hole return. He could not rid himself of the pestering sensation nor the annoying determination of Lucifer's desire. No matter how she cried or how much she begged he would not give her what she wanted at the price she asked for.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, silently condemning him for his stubborn defiance. "You will lose your final moment to him," she smoldered lowly, eyes ablaze with a muted fury. "You will die, and in those final breaths he shall take advantage of your weakness."

"Let him," Ulquiorra responded bluntly, not worried about dying or his final moment. "But until then _I_ will be the only commander of this body."

The storm of ire that raged in her eyes quieted.

They stood there in silence, him unable to stop holding her and she unable to stop searching his eyes for her lover. Minako smiled gently when she realized that Lucifer had more of a grip on his body than he let on. He would still lose his last breaths but until then there was one thing she could be placated by.

"Then let me go home," she whispered, "there's only one way you'll be rid of me without destroying yourself as well."

He studied her face, understanding her reference. It was an unwanted provocation but one that he knew he could not deny her. He thought briefly of letting Lucifer take control for the miniscule portion of her sendoff but quickly dashed the idea. Ulquiorra would not give in.

He looked down to her lips, the pinkness drowned out in a brush of alcohol. The tangy scent of the wine reached his nose as he felt his head begin to lean of its own accord. He had no further questions for her and his curiosity was washing away. The excitement of her baffling steadfastness and her inability to die had long since piqued his interest and conversely lost it.

Ulquiorra was quite sure it was Lucifer's doing when one of his hands gripped her face. Its plush peach softness was cradled in his stiffening hand as he tried to eliminate any emotionality in the foreign act he was about to commit. His face lowered even more and he stared into her eyes, realizing that the age-old scrutiny had disappeared and the young vessel's nervousness had replaced it. He too felt Lucifer relinquish his grasp as punishment, knowing that if he did not go through with the act they would both be obliterated.

Minako watched his internal struggle in anticipation. She'd witnessed his stubbornness in contention with Vesper but hoped he understood the gravity of his next moves. If this man cared more about remaining the master and commander of his body without relinquishing some aspect of control to the situation, he could very well choose death over giving them any satisfaction.

But it looked as if for all his gravitas he did not want to die either.

He had unfinished business and so did she.

Their lips hovered millimeters apart, Ulquiorra losing faith in his demonic integrity when a small curiosity thrummed through him. He knew this would be the first and only time he would do this, not particularly bred for petty human emotion.

Minako's heart thudded in her chest. With his face this close she was truly able to recognize the handsomeness his cold features encapsulated. It was a strange feeling, knowing that they shared a secret no one else would believe, they shared a relationship unable to be felt or understood by anyone else. But she would never see him again.

Ulquiorra finally pressed his lips to hers, surprised at the soft plumpness of her mouth. She pushed up to meet him and closed her eyes, lashes fluttering shut in shyness. He watched her close her eyes and wondered why she did so, unsure of her reaction and finding it uncouth.

He pulled away abruptly and her eyes shot open. Their faces remained close as they waited in anticipation for whatever was to happen next.

Silence met their expectations.

Minako was not sure if she was scared or in a hurry to return home or attracted to the strange man in front of her but she suddenly grabbed his face and pulled it down to her own, crushing her lips onto his.

He grabbed the forearms of the hands that gripped his cheeks and tore them from his face, squeezing her wrists tightly in punishment. But he did not break the kiss. He pushed back with a likeness of fervor and he slammed her back into the large window. He pressed hard against the length of her body and Minako pushed back, head, shoulders, and arms smooshed against the cold glass.

Her chest heaved at the ferocity of his response and inability to relinquish control in any measure. He dominated her and Minako felt completely under his power, lips his to be taken. But just as she was bending to his will, Ulquiorra pulled his mouth away.

He was calm and composed and she felt disheveled. Her hands were tingling for blood, losing circulation at the harsh clench he had around her wrists.

With an amazing speed he dropped her arms and grabbed her chin, squeezing her jaw painfully. Her chest rose and fell like she'd just run a mile, her heart racing.

"Do not come here again," he warned lethally. The orange mark on her forehead began to glow anew.

Minako, in a stroke of awareness, grabbed his face with her own admirable speed, covering his mouth with her hand. Her fingers dug into his skin as he gripped her jaw tighter, a shooting pain erupting beneath her skin.

"None of this was my choice," she bit back shakily, taking her hand from his face and smacking his arm away from her own. Suddenly she began to fizzle like an out of focus television channel.

He stepped back and placed his hands in his pockets, realizing he was probably no longer able to touch her. She glared at him ferociously and for once Ulquiorra eyed her with minute equality.

"What is your name," he abruptly asked, catching her off guard.

Her shocked expressed melted into a sinister smirk. "Minako Aino," she responded powerfully, "And Sailor Venus, Senshi of Love and Beauty."

Ulquiorra snorted in detestation.

"Who are you?"

He watched her with a stoic glare. "Ulquiorra Cifer, Cuatro Espada."

Minako laughed gaily as she began to disappear and he watched her curiously.

"What is so funny," he asked, finding no harm in learning her mirth.

Minako's giggles subsided. "Cuatro Espada," she said, erupting in another fountain of laughter and becoming fainter and fainter. She watched him with a big smile that consumed the entirety of her face in jollity. "I have _no_ idea what that means."

And then she disappeared.

After she'd fizzled away something small and white caught Ulquiorra's eye. He walked to where she'd stood against the glass and kneeled to the floor, picking it up. It was the small sprig of myrtle that had fallen from her hair. Carefully he stuffed the flower into his pocket.

Ulquiorra felt a strange sensation at the corner of his lip. It was an unstoppable twitch, an upward pull that he could not prevent nor deny. So he let it happen, mentally promising himself to never think of, mention, or wonder about what had just occurred until his final moments in death.

Ulquiorra Cifer smirked.

* * *

**AN: **Ok, so here's a little bit of explanation.

First of all thank you to **dragonofhellsflame** for suggesting the story, I hope you, most of all, liked it.

Second, I also would just like to point a few things out: I am not a particularly religious person but in my research for this story I found that there is some debate about the true meaning of Lucifer in the Bible, whether it is a name or merely a reference. I took the latter and ran with it. The legend is _completely_ made up, hashtag artistic freedom lol. Some of the things are true, like the bit about Ishtar or the fact that Venus really was believed to be two different stars by the Romans, or even that it was referred to as Lucifer and Vesper. But the lovers and the occultation…made up. Well, the moon can occult Venus, but you get my drift.

Third, please don't flame me about religion! This has nothing to do with it except for the Latin phrase from the Bible used to call up Ulquiorra. Also I know he's not really named after the devil or "Lucifer" or whatever. He's named after Patricia Urquiola and Hubert Schiffer, a designer and a survivor from Kubo's hometown. I also kind of put some of his questions about "the heart" from his conversation with Orihime into this.

Fourth, soooo what did you think? I've never written anything centered around Minako so I hope I got her enough in character. It wasn't the silly Minako we're used to seeing but I hope I threw enough moments of humor in there to combat the seriousness. It's also _really_ hard to write Ulquiorra lol. He has ONE look throughout the entirety of the manga and I was like "how on earth am I gonna get these two to hook up?" I hope it worked out plausibly and cutely.

Fifth, please read and review! I'd really, _really_ appreciate some reviews on this one because I'm kind of nervous about it lol. Let me know what was good or what I could have done better.

Also I might add a small, tiny ending onto it—so look out for that and any responses to reviews.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Mourning Star**

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters from Bleach or Sailor Moon.

* * *

She wouldn't say his face tormented her but Minako found a certain yearning run through her at Ulquiorra's memory. It was like a beautiful disaster or a smell so strange you couldn't stop sniffing. Thinking of him, of his eyes, of his demeanor, caused a painful ecstasy to run through her like a poisoned aphrodisiac. At first she would be riddled with dopamine, overcome with an amorous affliction before it was doused with a stabbing pang.

At night when she lay in her bed, Minako would torture herself with this internal affliction. It was like painful sex, fighting through some raw discomfort just for the hope of a pleasurable ending.

It hadn't been that long since her kidnapping, maybe a week, but Minako couldn't deny the uncomfortable knowledge that Vesper still resided within her. It was like a writhing, impatient passenger was glued to her soul and the blonde's peace of mind felt cramped.

She knew she didn't play it off as well she thought but the other Senshi were mindful enough not to pry. She returned to them after _that_ night, dressed in her normal clothes, but a listless dullness had seeped into her eyes. They'd rushed to her, worried and fretting but Minako had assured them that she was fine. She didn't tell them exactly what had happened but she fed them enough to make them stop harping on the issue.

They played it off well, trying not to bother her too much, but every so often Minako would catch Rei's calculating stare or Ami's continual glances. She knew they were curious but their thirst for answers was not to be quenched.

"Minako?"

The blonde nearly jumped, her tired eyes wide with embarrassed confusion as they darted throughout the room. All of its inhabitants were staring at her with a genuine worry cloaked in expectancy.

"I'm sorry," she said with a strained smile, "my mind was wandering. What's up?"

Usagi, knowing that Minako didn't like worry, tried to put on a happy mask of nonchalance. "Oh you know, typical girl's night questions," she said with a giggle. "Any boy updates?"

Bright green eyes flashed through her mind. "Nah," she said with a wave, "unfortunately the pickings are slender."

Makoto didn't have the heart to correct her but Usagi pointed to her face with unequivocal glee.

"Whoa, how did your tongue get so blue?!"

Slowly Minako's eyes strayed to the blue lollypop that was in her hand and then slid with disbelief to her princess. Minako knew she was just trying to make conversation now that they'd grabbed her attention but Usagi's efforts were less than valiant.

"I sucked off a smurf," Minako answered sassily.

Makoto's jaw immediately dropped as Rei turned to her with outraged and astonished eyes. Usagi covered her mouth with her hands as her cheeks erupted in a red blush. Much to the group's surprise it was Ami that burst into uncharted laughter, snorts of unadulterated mirth clenching her body at Minako's hilarity.

Tears prickled at the bluenette's eyes as she doubled over and clenched at her stomach. When her laughter refused to subside Minako couldn't stop the bubbling peal of giggles from overtaking her chest. At first she tried to repress it, her laughter coming out like a deep, fake chuckle—which in turn caused Makoto to snicker. Usagi had clearly started cackling behind her hand and Rei rolled her eyes but couldn't contain the giant smile from blooming on her face.

When Ami let loose a particularly swinish snort, the room burst into harmonious hoots of laughter. Usagi rolled on the ground as the others clenched their stomachs in various chairs around the room.

It was the first time Minako had laughed since she'd returned, it was the first time that things had felt normal since she'd shared her body with a celestial goddess. They laughed and they laughed and they laughed and Minako wished nothing would change. She wished that they could stay in this moment of unambiguous happiness for the rest of their days, just caught in a loop of undeniable jollity.

But alas, as if some otherworldly creator sensed too much complacency, a churning discomfort grew in Minako's stomach. At first she thought nothing of it, determining it to be a side effect of her rib clenching laughter, but then her stomach began to burn.

Minako gasped, trying to catch her breath as her laughter subsided and was replaced with an undeniable pain. Her hand moved to clench her chest as her friends' laughter fell away. At first they thought she was just breathing heavily, as they all were, but when the ache came through her eyes Makoto leapt from her chair.

"Minako?" she asked breathily, falling to her knees and grabbing the blonde's arm. The happiness was sucked out of the room and replaced with apprehension as Minako's disposition grew into one of agony.

"Gah!" she cried, clenching at Makoto's arm as her friends surrounded her in worry. Her eyes squeezed shut as she bared her teeth, doing everything in her power to relieve herself of the growing pain.

Usagi grabbed her free hand. "Minako?" she cried. "Minako! What's happening?"

Ami leaned over and pressed a hand to Minako's forehead and almost pulled away in pain. "She's burning up!" the bluenette cried as an orange light began to emit through her fingers.

Rei placed a hand to her best friend's knee. "Minako, please," she said calmly but the worry was evident in her eyes. "What's going on, what can we do to help?"

But Minako was so riddled with anguish that she couldn't answer. She let loose a squeal of torture as a searing heat bloomed within her. She couldn't formulate words, she couldn't breathe.

Minako tried to open her eyes but what she saw when she did was so addling that she let them remained closed. It was as if Makoto's apartment had opened. Her kitchen had been removed and an open desert stretched past the three walls.

She heard Makoto gasp a socked obscenity as she assumed they saw the same image she did. It was as if the apartment had been transplanted and mutated. No roof hung over their heads but her living room was well in tact. White sand flopped over the carpet as Makoto's overhead lights were replaced with a black sky and a sinister crescent moon.

An explosion sounded off in the distance, too close for comfort.

Minako's eyes burst open and she sprung from the chair, tearing out from her friends' worried grips.

"Minako!" they cried, standing and darting after the blonde onto the cool, white sand.

The Senshi of Venus sprinted as fast as she could, quite aware of her trailing friends but even more aware of the overwhelming heat emanating from her forehead. She knew it was Vesper, she could feel her very essence running through her veins and fitting into her like a bodysuit.

Her feet took her without hesitation to the decimated battleground. The sand was riddled with debris as those who partook in the fight took a brief moment to converse.

Minako could hear her friends calling for her but she pushed on, closer and closer to the winged creature that loomed before her.

* * *

"Then cut off my limbs as well," Ichigo Kurosaki demanded, ignoring Orihime's incredulity as she yelled out his name. As Ulquiorra stared back at him blankly, the orange haired teen prepared to launch into a righteous spiel about equality when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

It was upon them before he could utter another word, a streak of blonde tearing past him.

"Usagi!" he heard yelled as he and his comrades turned with wide eyes towards four more encroaching girls. A blonde one with pigtails was on the ground, pounding at the air as if she'd been pushed back by an invisible blockade.

"Minako!" she screamed as she banged at the air like a glass door. A brunette girl tried to shoulder her way through the nothingness, rebuffed by an un-seeable force field. Two others hit their hands against a resistant invisibility.

Then Ichigo became alarmed. The blonde woman was running straight for Ulquiorra.

"Stop!" he cried, fearing for her imminent death as a lance of green light appeared in the demon's hand. Using shunpo he appeared behind her, wrapping his arm around her to prevent the woman from reaching the dangerous Espada.

But his hands went right through her.

Ichigo's eyes widened in astonishment as she phased through his arms like a ghost. Orihime watched with wide eyes and a shocked and hurting Ishida witnessed the strange event with rising interest.

Ichigo reached out a wordless arm, not sure what to say or do as the mysteriously beautiful girl ran to her imminent death. He could hear the other four apparitions screaming her name as step by step she ran closer and closer to the frightening creature.

Ulquiorra watched with a growing curiosity as the blonde was nearly upon him. Her presence was not lost on the Cuatro Espada. Vesper's words echoed in his mind as he felt a tingle run through his body.

"_You will lose your final moment to him,"_ she had said. _"You will die, and in those final breaths he shall take advantage of your weakness._"

Ulquiorra was weak, he knew that. His internal organs had been decimated and the rouse he'd postured to get Ichigo Kurosaki to fight him had been for naught. His left leg was regenerating, as was his left arm, but they would not reach their full robustness. His left wing would not even begin to grow anew.

Ulquiorra was going to die.

He could see her face as she drew nearer to him, a saddened desperation taking over her blue eyes. Tears welled within them as she slipped through Kurosaki's fingers and ran to him. She approached him with no fear, as if he was not a horned, winged, nihilistic demon.

Ulquiorra felt the tingle grow stronger, trickling out from the black hole that dominated his chest, and knew that his final moment was already lost. Physically his body had been taken over but true to his vindictive fashion, Lucifer had left Ulquiorra's mind in tact…for now.

He eyed the orange haired Shinigami and said sternly, "Goodbye, Kurosaki." She was finally upon him. His adversary's eyes widened at Ulquiorra's finality.

The remaining Sailor Senshi watched with astonishment as Minako threw her arms around his neck. Team Karakura held back none of their surprise as Ulquiorra did nothing to stop her. All of their mouths hung open at what happened next.

Minako crushed her lips to his, pink and black melding with a bruising ferocity. Ulquiorra felt his single clawed hand move of its own accord as it thirstily delved into her thick, blonde locks. It was an uncomfortably furious kiss as Lucifer pulled her to him with frenzied need. In the midst of their throes the tip of his wing burst into ash and their wild passion simmered.

Minako could feel Vesper's hazardous need as she kissed him again, loving him with what she could as his final minute ticked by. His wing disintegrated slowly as he tried to take all of her into him.

Ulquiorra could feel the dangerous demand for her lips swelter within him. The ash flowed behind him in a beautiful whirlwind of black, dissipating into the air and he knew he'd lost control of his body for the rest of his short-lived existence.

Minako pulled her lips from his but her face did not move far. His hand remained tangled in her tresses, keeping her face inches from his. Her arms stayed wound around his neck as Minako felt Vesper's unyielding love for Lucifer emanate through her entire body.

"I can feel it," he said.

The caring was lost in his monotonousness but that didn't prevent the tears from falling from Minako's eyes. They were matched in dramatic reverence; the black lines flowed thickly from his eyes to his chin as her crystalline drops mimicked them.

"I don't understand it," he continued, "but it hurts more than any blow." Without hesitation he added, "You humans are fools, humans and gods alike. Why subject yourself to such a sensation."

"Does it matter anymore?" Minako whispered, arms clinging to him.

"Tch," Ulquiorra uttered, not able to pull his hand from her hair. "No."

Ichigo could not believe what he was seeing. He briefly wondered if this was some trick of Las Noches. Had they been caught in some spectacularly strange Resurrección? He watched Ulquiorra crumble away in the wind, caught up in some silent conversation with the anomalous blonde.

They were stark contrasts; he was the personification of shadows, of darkness and evil. She radiated with a golden internal light and Ichigo could not wrap his head around the predicament. His disappointment at the way he'd defeated the enduring Espada was washed away in confusion at the soft scene before him. Ulquiorra had yet to tear his eyes from the girl in front of him as they spoke lowly to one another. Not knowing what to do, Ichigo merely watched.

"And now one hundred more," Vesper said through Minako.

"I will find you again." Ulquiorra knew the words had come out of his mouth but they had not been his.

And suddenly the celestial grip on them was gone.

It was like Minako was snapping to from a daydream. Aware of their compromising position she gasped and pulled her arms from around his neck. But Ulquiorra's grip only tightened, keeping the blonde directly where she was.

"Minako Aino," he said monotonously, "Sailor Venus and Senshi of Love and Beauty." By now his wing was almost completely gone. The back of his body began to disappear in the wind along with it.

"Yes?" Minako asked. He stared down at her with the emptiest eyes she'd ever come across. The menacing bat-like appearance that now took over his chiseled form did not frighten her and she was surprised by it. Minako had figured that without Vesper's unwavering love within her that she would be petrified by the powerful demon.

But alas, she was not.

The hand he used to cradle her head had lost its ferocity and though Minako knew it was simply because of his dying weakness she couldn't help but feel gently supported by him. His hand moved and he pressed his palm to the top of her breast, just above her heart.

Minako blushed as he stared imploringly at the area despite the fact that she knew his head swarmed with no lewdness. His shoulder began to fade away and Minako's look softened. She placed her hand above his.

Ulquiorra felt the mild beat beneath her clothes and her skin. It was not quick or erratic but rather it pumped rhythmically and strongly. She was not afraid of him. His torso began to disappear and his head began to fade. His moment was almost gone, his body was almost gone. He saw his arm almost reduced to a sliver.

"Thank you."

The last thing Ulquiorra felt was a slight jump in the rhythm beneath her chest. The last thing he saw was her gentle and caring smile. She opened her mouth to respond but a glowing orange suddenly blinded them both.

_So that's a heart, _Ulquiorra thought.

And then…nothing.

* * *

They cared little that they'd suddenly arrived in Makoto's apartment. They did not notice that all four walls were in tact or that the ceiling had been reinstated. They did not care that the light that highlighted their features shone from the ceiling and not a bold crescent moon.

"Minako!" Ami cried, grabbing the blonde's shoulders. "Minako, are you ok?"

They couldn't believe what they'd witnessed. The Senshi of Venus had been sparse in her description of her kidnapping but the Senshi were respectful enough not to pry. Ami knew that Minako could handle herself but the image of the astoundingly powerful demon had given her fright.

Minako sat before her, sad eyes staring out at nothing before she seemed to come to. She shook her head gently as the feeling of Ami's hands on her shoulders brought her back.

"Mina-chan…" Usagi said, scooting into Ami's position. Minako's eyes followed her, lifting from their sadness. Their watery depths were replaced with warmth as Usagi reached up and brushed the fading tears from her cheeks. "Will you be okay?" Usagi had been through enough heartache and hardship to know not to pry too much too quickly.

Minako's mouth twitched before it became a smile. She felt lighter, like some grandiose weight had been lifted from her shoulders, like some shadow from her past had suddenly been erased. Minako felt better than she had in a very, very long time.

"I'll be fine, Usagi-chan," she said and felt her heart warm at her princess's relieved smile.

"Mina…"

The blonde looked up expectantly to Rei, who was standing with her arms crossed. "What was that?"

Minako looked down to her hands. Their creamy softness had just held his cold, grey skin. Their interaction had been so brief that he almost seemed like a dream. "Lucifer and Vesper," was her only answer.

"What was…his name?" Makoto asked, testing the waters gently. She didn't want to push so hard that Minako closed up. But the blonde seemed calm and comfortable as she watched them all with a smile.

"Ulquiorra Cifer, Cuatro Espada."

Usagi's nose scrunched. "What does that mean?"

Minako couldn't tell if it was sadness or glee that suddenly clenched at her heart…but she laughed heartily and truthfully nonetheless.

"I have no idea!"

* * *

Daww, ok, cool. Well this is done! Thank you so much to all of you who read and reviewed and didn't think that this premise was too ridiculous. And don't forget, if you ever want me to write a story or a one-shot don't hesitate to PM me! After all, that's how this awesome premise got started. Thanks again to **dragonofhellsflame**.

**angelic aquarian: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked it! She's _definitely_ more than a ditz. I love writing her more serious side, even if it's not always as extended as I've made it. Thank you so much for your compliments, I really appreciate it. Thank you for the review!

**Yami Nocturna**: Yeah, I just didn't want anyone harping on the literal stem of his name—which I knew was the designer. I still think there's room to interpret his name based off of his resurreccion and especially his segunda etapa so I'm glad you feel the same. I'm so glad you liked it! This ending was just a little tid bit. It wasn't meant to necessarily "tie things up" but I did want to get to Ulquiorra's death since I'd mentioned it in the first chapter. Thank you so much for your review!

**JPandS**: Ah, I'm so happy you liked my interpretation of Minako haha. I'm always nervous when I'm writing someone other than Makoto in depth. This was definitely a more serious Minako but that's also what I wanted to portray. We all know she can be fun, we all know she's kinda ditzy, but I kind of wanted to strip that away—especially with Vesper within her. The mythology was definitely fun to make up hahaha. I've always been really into it so coming up with my own was a trip lol. There was definitely NO way I was going to get them to hook up without there being something that literally _forced_ Ulquiorra to participate. It simply had to be done that way. Tite Kubo made sure to emphasize Ulquiorra's confusion about and annoyance of the human heart and emotions so participating of his own volition was completely out of the question. But in this chapter I wanted to show some reverence from him. He found it in his last moment with Orihime in actuality so I didn't find it so unbelievable to happen with Minako. Their kissing was also super fun to write hehehe ;)

Ulquiorra was so hard to write. I purposely didn't put question marks after any of his questions because there's simply no inflection in his voice. I felt like putting a question mark would make him seem more imploring than I could imagine him. I'm glad you liked the funny parts too haha. I tried to add a little bit of that in this chapter as well; I hope I succeeded just as much. The part about his name! I just got to thinking and I was like…imagine if your mom or something was introduced to Ulquiorra and he just dropped the fact that he was the Cuatro Espada…she'd be like wtf does that mean? Hahaha, Minako is no different—I just couldn't let that slide!

Thank you so much for all of your compliments, I really can't express to you how much I love your long and thought out reviews. They literally make my day. I'm glad you took a chance on it, even though it centers around Minako. I'm actually pretty proud of this diddly, seeing as how I've yet to really _focus_ on something majorly without Makoto. I was scared that no one would read it T_T;; but I'm so glad it worked out! Thank you so much for everything!

**Pink Rabbit**: Oh wow, thank you! Calling it beautiful is such an amazing compliment, that's so nice of you. Thank you so much for all of your kind words! :D Minako is _definitely_ a tough character—I truly found that out writing this. I'm so glad you liked my characterization, thank you so, so much for your compliments and your review!

**aquafina rain: **I knowwww T_T I was petrified no one was going to read this just because the premise is so ridiculous. Ulquiorra literally has no emotion. He doesn't care about ish lol, and Kubo makes a point of noting that throughout the entire Arracar and Fake Karakura Town arcs. That's why I went down the path I did haha. I'm so glad you liked it! It really means a lot, especially coming from a Minako expert like yourself. She's so hard to write, I don't know how you do it all the time -_-;; it felt like serious work. HAHA Minako's steamy kisses—I may not be the best at writing her but I sure know how to write her getting it on! Lawls, she's the Senshi of Love and Beauty! She's gotta get the steamiest stuff. And Aizen! Frankly, he's one of my favorite enemies ever created in anything. Until his end, at least, when he got super cocky. But I just feel like he knows _everything_, like he could totally tell what was going on with Ulquiorra despite the fact that there was no possible way he could have known. Thank you so, so much for your review—hope you liked the little ending! Also, update somethinggggg, I'm dying, your stories are my favorite T_T;;;;


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